National Outdoor Leadership School
When it comes to low impact travel in backcountry areas, the National Outdoor Leadership School, better known as NOLS, is the leader. “NOLS wrote the Leave No Trace skills and ethics booklets for the Forest Service,” says Mark Langston, NOLS operations manager. “We’ve spearheaded discussion on best practices throughout our history and around the world.”
Since 1965, the year that legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt founded NOLS, the school has been teaching people about the principles and practices of ‘leave no trace’ camping (LNT). Today, with 75,000 students educated and those numbers on the rise, NOLS continues to lead the industry. While the company runs programs in British Columbia, its influence in ‘leave no trace’ ethics is felt across the province and worldwide.
“A huge number of people are recreating in outdoor areas, and the numbers continue to increase,” Langston says. “The whole idea of LNT is to leave the wilderness the same way you found it so others can enjoy it the same way. So it’s the same wilderness experience 50 to 100 years down the road. It’s our responsibility to not let it get out of hand. It’s up to us to set the standard.”
The National Outdoor Leadership School is involved in more than just LNT. Five years ago, they obtained a financial grant to place portable toilets on the busy flanks of Mt. Baker in Washington State. “A lot of people use Baker. We run a variety of programs up there,” Langston says. “Disposing of human waste has been a huge problem up there. We decided to be proactive.” NOLS also has a history of partnering, donating time, money and research to keep places wild. “We like to give a little back,” Langston says.
When the Boy Scouts amassed themselves a bad reputation for non-LNT practices, mostly due to a lack of education on the part of the leaders, NOLS developed a ‘leave no trace’ education program for agencies and volunteer groups. Hundreds of Scout leaders have since graduated, paving the way for sustainable standards in the practices of youth camp.
The program started in the United States where it was very successful, and has spread into B.C. “Some scout leaders up there found out about it and asked us for more information,” Langston says. “We coached them through the program and gave them permission to use our resources in B.C.” The effort effectively ensures that LNT skills and ethics will be passed along to a whole new generation of outdoor users.
NOLS continues to look at how it can be more sustainable in its operations. Its northwest base in Conway, Washington, south of Bellingham, was made from sustainable harvested wood. They have a garden at the base that they use as much as they can. For food on trips, they source local and organic foods whenever possible. “We want to support environmentally minded companies even if they cost a little more,” Langston says.
“We talk to our students about the choices they can make in their day to day life. We tell them, ‘We all have choices and they make a difference.’” A benefit for the wilderness, NOLS chooses to set the standard for low impact travel and wilderness education.
Website: www.nols.edu
PHOTOS © NOLS